The Phillies might have just lost almost all negotiating power they have in their battle with Bryce Harper.
According to a Ken Rosenthal report, third baseman Nolan Arenado and the Colorado Rockies are close to finalizing an eight-year, contract extension worth $260 million. The deal will give Arenado an average salary of $32 million, will include a no-trade clause and includes an opt-out after the third year.
The last detail couldn't come at a worst time for the Phillies.
Related: Latest Harper Rumors: Dodgers, Phillies, and others?
On Tuesday morning 94WIP's Angelo Cataldi, according to a source, reported that a 10 year, $330 million deal between Harper and the Phillies is currently being held up by a three-year opt-out clause that Harper and his agent, Scott Boras, are seeking from the Phillies.
"Here's what has actually been going on," Cataldi said on his Tuesday morning show on 94WIP. "By the way, I can't reveal who gave me this information, but I'll just say a little birdie. This is great information. Friday, (John) Middleton goes to Vegas. By then they've already got the money settled. He's there for one reason—to get the final approval of the last detail in the negotiation, which is something that didn't even exist 10 years ago. It's called the opt-out clause. Now, in big, big deals the player gets the opportunity to bail on the contract at a certain point. Scott Boras, from day one, has insisted that there be an opt-out clause in there, quite honestly, because he's not positive that Harper will like it here. That is part of the whole situation.
"Boras said we have to have an opt out and it has to be after year three," Cataldi continued. "Three years guaranteed and then we get the chance to leave. If we don't, then we get the other seven years and he's here for the full ten. He gets the one opt out after the three. They (the Phillies) say, not only does that not work for us, but we can't sell that to Philadelphia. We're gonna poison the well before he gets here. He's basically saying, we're not sure about Philadelphia. The opt out clause is what's holding up an agreement with the Philadelphia Phillies and I can tell you, Scott Boras insists that it be three years."
Now that the Colorado Rockies have handed one to Arenado, and an average of $32 million a year, there is almost zero chance Harper is going to sign a deal that doesn't include the same. If the Phillies aren't willing to allow Harper to hit free agency again in three years if he so chooses, chances are they are going to lose him to a short-team deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Phillies are, reportedly, already willing to make Harper the highest paid player in the MLB, both per year and overall.
The question is, will they give in on the three-year opt out? After Arenado got one, they might no longer have a choice -- and they might have to give him a no-trade clause as well.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
